Far From Understanding
by Traban16
Summary: Konoha now has it's strangest of events to befall it, and right after Tsunade became Hokage. From a mysterious murder, fingers pointed in all directions for the culprit, and a suspicious execution on the rise. What is the true, and HOW will it all end?
1. Unbelievable

**A/N: Hello, to whoever is actually reading this! You know who I am, and I will probably never know who you are. You're probably asking, "Why has he started this story when he has ones that aren't finished? What would possess him to do this?" Well the answer is quite clear. It's because I can! Mwahahahahah! Umm… but, no seriously; I'm doing this because I thing this one is a really good idea, and I'd like to try my hand at mystery. As in the summary I said it'd be Naruto/Bleach, but I didn't but it into the crossover section. Why is that? Because it will be the basic plot of Bleach: the Soul Society Arc, yet it will take place in the Naruto world and no one from Bleach will show up (…unless I change my mind at some point in the future).**

**Thanks to Rixxell Stryfe, brown phantom, and Ali-Th3-Ch3shir3-Kat for helping in the creation of this story. Had it not been for their invaluable, I would not have been able to start and post this story as quickly as I have. Thanks to their ideas and input I was able to get a real clear vision for this story, and hopefully that'll allow me to update it that much quicker. Thanks again guys! You're the best!**

**So without further wait, and enough of this crap, let's start the show!**

**Chapter 1: Unbelievable…**

* * *

><p>She couldn't believe it, and they refused to. Her eyes were wide and her mouth slightly agape as she gazed in shock at the ANBU squad in front of her. Her teammates and sensei weren't much better. Her sensei looked slightly shocked, but she knew that his internal surprise was at an all-time high. The teammate to her left wasn't even standing anymore as he had fallen to his knees. Even her teammate on her right was completely overtaken by what they had just heard from the squad of ANBU ninja in front of them.<p>

"Did you not hear me? Very well, I shall repeat myself; you, Sakura Haruno, are under arrest by order of the Hokage, and are to be executed one month from now by order of the Fire Daimyo. You shall come with us peacefully or we shall take you in by force." The ANBU leader said as he held up a hand, signaling his squad to begin drawing their weapons.

"No, I'll come peacefully…" Sakura said, eyes cast to the floor in sadness as she walked forward, startling her teammates and sensei.

"Wait, no, Sakura-chan! You can't do this! We just found you!" Naruto shouted out as he ran forward, but couldn't even get halfway to the girl as their sensei was already in front of him, an arm outstretched and stopping him.

"Wait, Naruto! There's… there's nothing we can do right now…" Kakashi said, his voice hollow as the situation hit him full force.

"What are you talking about Kakashi-sensei? They're gonna kill Sakura-chan! We have to-" Naruto was saying, but then a hand gripped his shoulder from behind. Naruto turned to the face of his teammate, Sasuke, who was paler than usual as the floor held his gaze.

"He said there was nothing we could do now, Naruto… W-we'll do something to stop this…" Sasuke said, his voice cracking just slightly as he raised his head, all the blood drained from his face.

"It's okay guys… Really… I did what needed to be done…" Sakura said, her voice its usual cheer, but Naruto could hear just how hollow that fake cheer was.

Sakura kept walking until she was directly in front the ANBU captain, who had placed a hand on her shoulder and disappeared with her in his grasp. The other ANBU were gone without a word as Naruto sank back to his knees and Kakashi lowered his arm. Sasuke stood, on shaking legs as he tried to formulate a plan.

"We can go see Tsunade-sama. She can do something about this, right?" Sasuke suggested as Naruto looked up, his dull eyes giving just a glint of hope.

"Yeah, Granny will be able to stop this, she's just gotta!" Naruto exclaimed, jumping to his feet and running off from Training Ground Seven toward Konoha.

Kakashi sighed, tiredly from either the situation at hand or Naruto's antics, but was off after the boy with Sasuke not to far behind. As they arrived in their village they didn't even slow in their run as they took to the roofs, unfortunately for them Shikamaru and Shino were in their way. They crashed into the two boys with Naruto taking the full brunt of the spill.

"Ow… Hey, watch where you're going!" Naruto exclaimed as he rubbed his head and glared at the two boys who were basically doing the same.

"I'm sorry, but it was you Naruto-san that ran into us." Shino stated impassively as Naruto crossed his arms and sat childishly. Sasuke sighed as he got up and pulled at Naruto.

"We don't have time for this." Sasuke said impatiently as Kakashi got up, helping Shikamaru.

"Naruto, what the hell are you doing running people over anyway? Where's the ramen sale?" Shikamaru asked with a smirk as Naruto jumped to his feet and gave him an annoyed look.

"We don't have time for ramen!" Naruto all but shouted as everyone around him gasped.

"It would take Sakura getting executed… just to hear those words." Sasuke said, still shocked by Naruto's declaration just like the others, though they quickly rounded on him as their mouths gaped.

"Sakura? Executed? But why?" Shikamaru asked, shocked more by this new information that anything. What could Sakura have done to possible be executed?

"We can't tell you that now, but come with us to see Granny Tsunade. She'll know what to do, and we could use both your brains." Naruto said as he jumped to the next building, but saw that no one was following.

"What?" He asked indignantly as Sasuke shook his head of the shock.

"You just said something smart… and you said no ramen… are you sure you're Naruto Uzumaki?" Sasuke said as Naruto rolled his eyes.

"No, I'm freakin' Mashiro Kuna in disguise, now let's move it!" Naruto replied sarcastically as they moved across the roofs. Sasuke had to wonder if it was just the danger that Sakura was in, or some deep latent intelligence that Naruto had suppressed with his stupid that was making him like this…

It was Sakura being in danger. There was no way that Naruto had any real brain cells…

* * *

><p>They arrived at the Hokage Tower in almost no time. Kakashi had to say that Naruto was always driven, but when it came to his friends being endanger, the kid could easily be a Jonin the way he boosted everything about him. It was like someone took away the hyperactive blond and replaced him with a more focused and calm one… though he was still impatient, hence with he was making the two Chunin who were standing guard… cry.<p>

"Let us in! We have to see Granny Tsunade! It's important, and if you don't move I promise to Kami-sama that I'll misuse the gift that is ramen simply to fill your underwear with it! I'll make the rest of your lives miserable; and you know I don't break promises, so move it!" Naruto yelled as the two Chunin were caught between their duty and loyalty, and their mortal fear for their lives. They were on their knees being glared down on by an irate Naruto, who seemed 50 feet tall.

"W-we're sorry, Naruto-sama, but we can't! We were told by Shizune-sama that no one was allowed in while they had their council meeting!" Izumo, the Chunin to the right, exclaimed as he bowed in fear to Naruto. He and Kotetsu had heard the rumors; that Naruto sometimes worked with Ibiki, Anko, and Inoichi to break prisoners. If those rumors were true no person ever wanted to have a session with Naruto…. Ever!

"Please understand Naruto-sama; we're just doing our job! I have a girlfriend and she has a kid! I'm afraid to die!" Kotetsu sobbed out as he broke down from fear. Naruto only crossed his arms as he looked down at them.

"Then move out of the way." Naruto gritted out as the two quivered under his gaze. Kakashi sighed as he closed his book, even if he hadn't been reading it. He disappeared from view and reappeared behind the two Chunin, having knocked them out. He looked back with a eye-smile as he picked them up.

"Let's move guys, we've wasted enough time on these two." Kakashi said, but then looked over the group and saw that Naruto wasn't with them.

"Hey, come on! Get the lead out will ya!" Naruto shouted from the stairway inside.

"_How did he get there without me noticing? I know he's grown under Jiraiya-sama's teaching lately, but that kind of speed_…" Kakashi thought, but shook his head as he remembered it was a Sannin he was thinking about.

* * *

><p>They ran through halls and up stairways trying to get to the council chambers as quickly as possible.<p>

"Which way is it?" Naruto asked as they came to yet another cross section of hallways. This place was so much bigger than Naruto knew when he only headed to the Hokage's office.

"I'm not quite sure. The last time I've had to report to the council on a matter was five or maybe six years ago, and they've moved the rooms around since then." Kakashi drawled as Sasuke face-palmed himself.

"Hey, maybe that guy knows!" Naruto exclaimed as he pointed to an old man and a young pale boy who were walking down one of the passages. Kakashi quickly grabbed Naruto and the others and hid them behind a wall while he let his narrow gaze settle on the retreating form of the man.

"Naruto, that man is Danzo. He's a very dangerous man. While in life, the Sandaime Hokage was opposed by that man, and he's been trying to become Hokage even while Sarutobi-sama was in office. He's also the founder of an organization of ANBU ninja called ROOT. He's a _very_ dangerous man, Naruto." Kakashi explained while Naruto and the others peeked around the corner at the man.

Danzo appeared to be an old and frail man. He was leaning heavily on a cane just to walk! He had black shaggy hair, and his right eye had been bandaged over, concealing it from view. He had an X-shaped scar on his chin. He wore a white shirt, with a brown robe over top of it covering from his feet, to just over his right shoulder.

Sasuke and the others couldn't see what was so dangerous about this crippled asshole, but Naruto knew that if Kakashi-sensei was afraid to tangle with the man there had to be a good reason.

"Okay, so who's the kid waling with him? He looks about our age." Shikamaru drawled as all of their gazes focused on the boy walking three steps behind Danzo to the man's right. He had short ink-black hair, ink-black eyes, and extremely pale skin. He wore a short black jacket, high collared midriff shirt, black pants, shinobi sandals, and gloves with his index and thumb fingers exposed. He also carries a tantō on his back.

"Hey Sasuke, he looks kind of like you." Shikamaru said as Naruto and the others nodded while Sasuke only scoffed.

"Don't compare me to that pale freak. He's nothing like me; he looks like he bats for the other team, if you catch my drift." Sasuke said as Naruto looked at him oddly.

"And you don't?" Naruto asked in genuine confusion while Sasuke glared at him and Kakashi's chuckling form.

"Well, we had better paly it smooth then." Kakashi said as he whipped out his book again while pretending to read. He walked around the corner with the Genin following along. He quickly caught up to the limping man that was Danzo.

"Hmm… what have we here; Danzo the Councilman, and an unknown shinobi? What are you two doing about?" Kakashi asked as he looked up from his book while the two turned to gaze at him. Danzo's eyes immediately locked on Naruto with the pale boy doing the same.

"Kakashi Hatake, Naruto Uzumaki, and Sasuke Uchiha; such a distinguished crowd, and two clan heirs along with you. What brings _you_ here with such companions, Hatake?" Danzo said, his eyes never leaving Naruto as he spoke. Sasuke narrowed his eyes at the man since he didn't answer Kakashi's question.

"Hmm… me? Oh, I'm just here to speak Hokage-sama about one of my Genin. You?" Kakashi answered lazily as he turned a page.

"Hmm… yes, the young Sakura Haruno; she committed a crime of speaking out against the Fire Daimyo. I heard about it in last week's council meeting. Apparently, she found one of his comments on your last mission wrong and spoke out against him. He lost some respect during that Daimyo summit, and his newest advisor found it easier to just execute her for her words. Tsunade-hime was in shambles about the whole thing. She doesn't want it to happen, but she has no choice since it was a direct order from our Lord. Oh well… what can you do. It's a shame really." Danzo said, though his last words held no emotion at all. Sasuke looked away as Danzo spoke about the incident, yet Naruto's eyes narrowed into a glare while his teeth and fist clenched.

"Well it's not a shame! We're gonna save Sakura-chan no matter what!" Naruto said as he glared up at Danzo. Danzo was about to reply when the pale boy next to him whispered something in his ear. Kakashi and Naruto caught every word as the two spoke in whispers.

"Ahh yes, thank you, Sai. Really now young Uzumaki, you believe you can save her? Then why not accompany me to the council room?" Danzo said, turned, and began walking without waiting for Naruto's answer. Yet, Naruto huffed and glared more acidly as he followed.

"Fine! I will, and you'll see!"

"Naruto, wait!" Kakashi said as he and the others followed after the blond Jinchuriki.

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><p>In the council room things were tense. When Danzo and Sai came through the door they were already on edge from the heated debate they were sure he'd give, but when Naruto came in glaring with Kakashi, Sasuke, Shikamaru, and Shino as well. Well… they could tell that shit was gonna hit the fan.<p>

"Naruto Uzumaki, you know full well that you are not permitted to enter these chambers unless granted permission from one of the council members." Koharu scolded as she looked at Naruto, who glared back at her. She didn't have anything against the boy, but he needed to learn the rules. Danzo waved her off as he took his seat.

"It is quite alright. He's here with my permission. He wished to debate the fate of his teammate and friend, Sakura Haruno." Danzo said mildly as Sai took his place beside him.

"Um… well, we have other things to discuss, but I suppose we can start with that, since it is the longest of our discussions we might as well get it out of the way now." Homura said as he shifted through papers. Naruto and Sasuke stood beside Tsunade as Kakashi took a stand beside Asuma, and the two clan heirs stood beside their fathers.

"Ah, here it is! The incident in which Sakura Haruno is to be on trial for next week is the speaking out and defiance of the rule and words of the Fire Daimyo. She is accused of berating our Lord over his words about the Uchiha family, one Sasuke Uchiha, and one Naruto Uzumaki." Homura said as he found the paper and read off it.

"The Fire Daimyo was very displeased with her outburst at the summit of the five great Daimyo. He wanted life imprisonment, but his newest advisor suggested that she be executed to show that the word of the Daimyo is not to be trifled with and that his comments are not for discussion. She is to be executed one month from now and tried officially in a week." Koharu said as she took the page from Homura and rad it, passing it around to all the council members while she said it aloud.

"Okay then let us discuss this. It is true that we don't really have a say in this, but if we put together some compelling arguments, we can probably save this girl's life." Tsunade said as she leaned forward in her chair.

"What else happened at this summit?" Inoichi Yamanaka asked as Tsunade shook her head.

"The rest is classified information that only the Daimyo and Kage are permitted to know." She replied as Choza Akimichi grunted.

"Perhaps we can play on her inexperience. That was the team's first diplomatic mission, perhaps the Fire Daimyo would be more lenient if we were to emphasize on that." Choza said as Shikaku Nara nodded his resting head that was on the council table.

"Perhaps, but it's still a stretch. Any other suggests?" Tsunade said as she nodded and looked around.

"We could bring up the fact that we need her. Wasn't she to become your apprentice in a month's time?" Tsume Inuzuka said as Naruto and Sasuke looked at each other. They didn't know that…

"Yes, she was considered to be an apprentice along with Ino Yamanaka, and Hinata Hyuga." Tsunade said.

"Then perhaps we should tell the Fire Daimyo that she in irreplaceable to the village as a future medical-ninja. He would want our village to thrive, less his land be taken by one or all of the surrounding lands." Hiashi Hyuga said with closed eyes to the whole matter.

The girl was only luck that she was a friend of Naruto and his daughter. If her being alive made Naruto happy, then his daughter would be happy, and if his daughter was happy, he was happy. Besides, if he helped keep the girl alive, then perhaps the boy would be thankful. His clan did owe the boy a lot for helping Neji and bringing them all closer together.

"That could work, but so far she'll get imprisoned for life. We have to come up with something that'll allow us to-" Tsunade was saying, but Sasuke lost interest.

These people, he thought to himself as he looked around, they didn't know Sakura. They didn't know how she had cared for him and Naruto while they were in the Forest of Death, or how she had nearly gotten herself killed trying to protect them from Sound ninja. Sakura may have been annoying, but what she did at that summit wasn't a crime, and it certainly wasn't a reason for her to die.

Sasuke glanced down the other end of the table at Danzo, the "big baddy" Kakashi had spoken of earlier. Was the elderly and disabled man really so bad that even Kakashi was caution of him? And if he was so important and evil, why had he never heard of the man before? This man most have been something in his prime though, he even hid his power well enough that Sasuke could only get a feel for the surface of it and that was one wide surface.

Sasuke's eyes roamed over to the pale boy, Sai was his name. What was so special about the kid, and why was he smiling so phonily? The narrowed eyes, the fake smile that was almost an intimidating grin; was this kid so kind of psycho? And why… why was he smiling at… Naruto? Sasuke switched his gaze to Naruto and saw that his friend was barely containing his anger at the pale boy. Naruto must have thought the boy was mocking him; the idiot. He nudged Naruto as the boy broke from glaring at Sai to look at him.

"What?" Naruto snapped at Sasuke.

"Dope, pay attention." Sasuke berated as Naruto glared at him.

"I am! They're talking about just stopping the execution, but who's gonna save Sakura-chan from rotting in a prison until they can get a pardon?" Naruto snapped at him as he raised a brow.

"What?" Sasuke asked as Naruto huffed.

"The only thing they can do is get her not executed, but even with that she'll be imprisoned for life or at the least 50 years." Naruto said as he clenched his fist in anger. Sasuke looked at him with caution; Naruto was at his boiling point and he was about to explode.

* * *

><p>"We have too do something!" He shouted as all talks around them ended while everyone was looking at Naruto in confusion. Naruto decided to just roll with it since he now had their undivided attention.<p>

"All you guys are talking about are ways to get her imprisoned, but what about her life! You've all admitted that she could be vital to the village, so why not get her off the hook instead of trying to appeal to that bastard's self-absorbed world! He had no right to say what he did, and Sakura-chan had enough! She was right and he was wrong! We have to save her, rescue her, and teach that bastard a lesson!" Naruto exclaimed as everyone looked at him with equally serious expressions.

"Naruto, you have to understand that in the village we can say things like that, and maybe even to the Fire Daimyo's face in his own court, but to speak out against him during a Daimyo summit and be from his own land cannot go unpunished. Sakura chose the wrong time to allow her emotions to get the better of her, and while we applaud her for defending her village, her teammates, and her friends we cannot simply steal her away in the middle of the night. She is now being taken directly to the Fire Daimyo's own prison and will remain there until the times of her trial and execution. He'll have his samurai burn this village to the ground if he thinks we're defying his rule. There really is… nothing we can do." Tsunade said sadly as Naruto and the other Genin looked shocked.

Kakashi simply looked away as did some of the other adult ninja in the room. They never wanted the kids to learn about the way the world worked like this; with the death of their friend. They all understood that there was no hope for Sakura, but Kakashi at least wanted them to think that there was. Why should such good kids, even Sasuke, learn that their world was ran by people who could and would order the death of anyone who dared to speak out against. Even Danzo felt a little for the now sadden faces of the kids as they each stared at the floor in a mixture of disbelief and grief.

"Why are you all so sad over an ugly girl?" a voice cut through the air in mock politeness. Naruto snapped his attention to the source of the voice. It was that guy Sai, smiling falsely as if this entire matter was funny.

"Sai, that wasn't very nice. Show some respect; their friend is going to be executed." Danzo said, though his tone was no one of scolding. Naruto glared heatedly at Sai while Sasuke gave the boy the Uchiha-glare, which was basically him glaring while using his Sharingan.

"My apologies, young Uzumaki, Sai is… emotional distant when it comes to these sort of things." Danzo said, in a kind and caring manner, though the adults of the room knew it was faked. Kakashi narrowed his visible eye at the old man.

"_What are you up to Danzo? What are you after_?" Kakashi, and every other adult, thought as Naruto's pupils turned to slits as he glared at Sai, who was still fake-smiling.

"I mean, just look at this distinguished crowd here to placid you two. Tell me, should I be appalled or impressed at the sight of this? The council members and the Hokage, the controlling body of the entire village; all of them faking their concern over this matter just for you. Or… am I mistaken?" Sai said with his fake smile turning into a playful grin as he looked around the room, and noticed something.

"I see Jiraiya-sama isn't here. What's wrong, did something happen for him not to be here today? I know for a fact he's within the village since we passed him earlier today. I really hope nothing's happen to him." Sai said as Naruto took calming breaths.

* * *

><p>"He's not feeling very well." a voice, Neji's if Naruto had to guess, came from outside the council room said as the doors opened, revealing Neji and the rest of Team Gai. Sai glanced at them for a moment with a blank face, but then his fake smile was back in effect.<p>

"Oh, not again, I hope he gets better soon. That's the third time this week. I wonder what has him bedridden so much lately?" Sai said with mock concern as Tsunade chuckled a bit, but the glare she was shooting the kid spoke anything but amusement.

"Being caught peeking is the cause of his illness." Tsunade said as Sai looked at her with a playful grin.

"I must say, that you should quit joking around. Jiraiya-sama sent us here as a mission to him to sit in on this meeting. He'd like the four of us to listen in on it and report back to him about it." Rock Lee said as Sai was blank faced again as he gazed at Lee.

"That's right, Lee. This meeting is of a serious matter. We heard from Lord Jiraiya about the… incident at the Land of Fire's capital. I must say that it is indeed troubling." Gai said in a completely serious tone.

"I see, so are you saying that I'm… joking?" Sai said, his fake smile on his face as he watched Lee and the others cross the room and move to Jiraiya's spot.

"Huh?" Lee said as he was a bit caught off-guard by the question.

"It's just that, I was under the impression that this was not the place for jokes, but I guess my instincts are starting to fail me." Sai said as he rubbed the back of his head. Naruto and Sasuke were being calmed down by Tenten, Shino, and Kakashi as they had seen the Kyuubi's chakra and Sharingan eyes spinning wildly.

"Stop all this monkey business right now, Sai! You know full well that this is no time to antagonize neither Naruto nor Sasuke. Just look at them." Homura said as he gestured to Naruto, who was coated in bugs, and Sasuke who was being held back by Kakashi and Tenten's ninja wire.

"Oh no, not again; fossils and their bickering…" Shikamaru drawled from his resting position next to his dad.

"Can you not see, Homura-sama? These two are unfit to be ninja; they allow emotions to control them, and their anger is clearly misdirected at that. Besides, you seem to imply that I'm angering them on purpose." Sai said as Homura scowled even further.

"That's exactly what I'm saying, and what you're doing!" Homura thundered as Sai merely grinned a bit.

"One moment, Homura-sama; I was speaking with him first." Lee cut in as he and Homura locked eyes. Tenten rolled her eyes as Naruto and Sasuke finally calmed down enough to be released, mostly because Naruto realized he was covered in Shibi Aburame, Shino's dad, and Shino's insects.

"So stupid…" Tenten said as she sighed. Kakashi merely flipped a page in his book, though he really wasn't reading it… much…

"Well, what do ya know; tempers are running high today." Kakashi commented as he turned another page. Asuma simply closed his eyes to the whole thing as he thought about the execution itself, instead of their petty arguments.

"Stop! Enough of this foolishness, and your petty bickering! You three acting like children on a playground!" Tsunade said as she slammed her fist into the council table, waking the two Nara males from their naps, "I think that the next order of business will be the punishment of you Sai."

"Me? But why?" Sai said in a borderline mocking tone.

"Because, you have incited an incident here in this very chamber; angering Naruto and Sasuke, along with Lee and Homura to a lesser extent. Now, how do you defend your actions, Sai?" Tsunade said as she leaned forward and placed her hands together. Sai smiled at her as he looked at her with nearly closed eyes.

"I cannot. You see I don't believe I've done anything wrong, so I won't stand here and make feeble excuses, I'll accept any punish-"

"Just a minute, Sai. I've seen you before. You were at the capital while we were there. I remember now. I have something to ask you, before you get what's comin' to ya." Naruto said, in calm seriousness that they would have never expected of him.

* * *

><p>Sai simply grinned playfully at him as Naruto looked over him calmly. It was then that a Jonin burst into the room, out of breath and sweating.<p>

"Tsunade-sama!" The Jonin, Genma, if Naruto remembered right, said as he bowed before them all.

"What's wrong now?" Tsunade asked as she sighed and leaned back in her chair. Everyone's attention was now on Genma as he entered.

"Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro are here on behalf of Suna and they wished to speak with you in your office. It's of the utmost urgency!" Genma said as everyone looked to one another. Tsunade sighed as she got out of her chair and stood.

"Due to this recent turn of events, this meeting is dismissed." Tsunade said as she walked out. Everyone else rose from their seats and began filing out as well.

Kakashi and Shikamaru stayed behind with Naruto, Sasuke, and Neji. As Naruto passed Sai, who had stood in the same spot for one reason or another, he stopped short so that their shoulders were even and spoke.

"Saved by the timely emergency, Sai. Convenient timing, wasn't it? They arrive with some emergency just as I wanted to expose you for what you did at the capital. You don't really think that you and they will get away with it do you?" Naruto said, as Sai grinned. The people that heard him, which were just about half the council, stopped as they wanted to hear the conversation between the two boys; though they made it look like they were speaking with each other.

"Hmm, what do you mean? Why not just come right out and say it? You're not making any sense." Sai said as Naruto gazed straight ahead with a serious look on his face.

"Just remember, Sai; don't underestimate me. I'll stop you myself if I have to." Naruto said firmly as he swiftly walked from the room, people standing aside as he left.

Kakashi and Shikamaru exchanged glances at the unusual conversation between the two while Neji and Sasuke narrowed their eyes from Naruto's retreating form to… Sai? When everyone looked back to where Sai was he was gone. Even Danzo was curious as to where Sai had gone, but knew that the only place Sai could have gone was back to ROOT Headquarters. Danzo didn't know what the two were talking about, but knew that he could get the info out of Sai.

And with that everyone walked away from the council chambers, not even one of them knowing just what would happen that same week.

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><p><strong><span>Tell me, did you like it, hate it? Any feedback at all is positive feedback. I thought if I started it off with her being taken away it would add to the mystery <span>****and the drama... or whatever. So REVIEW and tell me what you think so I can improve it.**

**Until Next Time, See Ya!**

**-T.K**


	2. Unexpected! Naruto Assassinated!

**Warning****: **_**This chapter contains M-rated material such as; tear-jerkers, drinking, lewd sexual comments and jokes, both genders shoves their tongues down Naruto's throat, drunken Sasuke and Neji, Lee trying to put the moves on Naruto, secrets being revealed, and Hinata being a predator**_**.**

**Chapter 2: Unexpected! Naruto… Assassinated!**

* * *

><p>Hinata and Kiba walked swiftly aside Kurenai and Anko. They were just returning from the mission they had three days ago, and they hadn't slept not once. They were nearing the village gates, and by it being early night in the late summer-early autumn, no one was in sight; expect the two Chunin guards.<p>

"Ah, Hinata-sama, Kurenai, Anko, and Kiba-sama! Welcome back! How was the mission?" Izumo asked as Hinata was kind enough to reply, unlike the rest of her team who walked pass the men with middle fingers waving and muttered curses.

"Umm… it was a success, though since it was a simply prisoner transfer it was to be expected… How is Naruto-kun taking it all?" Hinata said as Izumo and Kotetsu looked down in sadness.

"Not well, Hinata-sama…" Izumo said as Kotetsu nodded.

"Two days ago he was fired up to save the Haruno girl, but now he's locked himself inside his house and refuses to come out. I think the hopelessness of the situation is hitting him full force." Kotetsu explained as Hinata looked on the verge of tears. She knew she had to do something to cheer Naruto up.

"Perhaps you can help him, Hinata-sama." A voice came from behind her. She and the two Chunin looked to see Neji alongside the rest of the Genin and Sand trio; except Naruto, Sakura, and Kiba.

"What do you mean, Neji?" Hinata asked as Neji walked up to her.

"He refused to see all of us, but you have something we don't. Naruto wouldn't even open his door for ramen, but maybe he'll open his door if he hears your concern for him. He's always been weak when it came to you, Hinata-sama." Neji explained as Hinata covered her mouth to stifle a gasp. Naruto… not wanting ramen? The madness! This had to be really serious, so she had to be too. Her resolve strengthened as she gave Neji a nod to lead the way to Naruto's apartment, even though she knew the way like the back of her hand.

"You can do it, Hinata-sama!" Kotetsu shouted in encouragement.

"Yeah, bring back our idiot blond prankster! He's the life of the village! We believe in you!" Izumo encouraged as Hinata blushed from it all.

* * *

><p>It didn't take long before they had arrived at Naruto's apartment building, mainly because Neji had taken them through shortcut #37 which was one of the three shortest routes to Naruto's place from the village gate. Hinata looked up at the rundown building and saw only one window lit. That meant, since Naruto was the only person who actually lived in the building, that he was home and everything they had said was true. Naruto not wanting his precious ramen, what was the world coming to? Hinata took a deep breath and regained her confidence. She'd cheer Naruto up, and then he'd love her.<p>

"Do you still have the ramen?" Hinata asked as Tenten nodded and Choji pulled out the steaming hot bowl of noodles. Hinata sighed in relief. It was always better to have more of an incentive for Naruto. She had learnt that on Day #3,478 of her… observation of her crush. They quickly made it up the stairs of the building and in front of his apartment. Hinata took another calming breath to help her fast-beating heart. She knocked on the door lightly while fumbling was heard from inside.

"Go away…" a somber voice groaned out from inside the apartment.

"Naruto-kun… it's me, Hinata." Hinata said as more fumbling was heard, but this time it was closer to the door.

"Hinata… please, go away… I don't want to see anyone…" Naruto said as Hinata looked saddened. He must have been very upset by the sound of his depressed voice. The last time she had heard him sound like that was when he was trying to figure out why people avoided him.

"Naruto, please open up. It's not healthy to keep everything bottled up inside, or to hide away from the world. You taught me that. The others are here too, and they're just as worried about you as I am. They care about you, I care about you. Please, Naruto-kun… let us help you. Even Sasuke is here for you." Hinata said, her voice breaking as she held back the tears in her eyes. It hurt her so much knowing that Naruto had closed himself off from the world while she was gone. It hurt knowing that he had been in pain while she was away.

Behind her, Lee was crying alongside Choji and Kankuro as Temari looked annoyed, though tears were in her eyes as well. Ino was sniffling with a handkerchief drying her eyes. She passed it to Tenten who blew her nose with it while Ino looked on in disgust. Shino, Shikamaru, and Gaara stood silently as Sasuke and Neji leaned toward each other.

"Wow, now I know why you made us look for her. She's a really good actress. I mean, that _actually_ sounded like it came from her heart." Sasuke said as Neji shook his head.

"Not at all; that _did_ come from her heart. She's had a crush on Naruto Uzumaki since she was four years-old, and has been in love with him since the Chunin Exam Preliminaries four months ago." Neji said as he kept his gaze focused on Hinata, and Naruto's apartment, both of which were silent. It was then Shino stepped forward behind them.

"He's her everything, and her idol. She looks up to him, and hopes that one he'll see her in the same position that she sees him; that she's strong just like him, and love her back." Shino said as he adjusted his glasses with his index finger.

Gaara caught every word they had said as he gazed silently at Hinata with a new sense of understanding and enlightenment, "_I know how you feel Hinata. Someday, I wish to show him that I can be like him someday too_" Gaara thought, but then frowned as he added more thought, "… _though I draw the line at love. You can have Naruto that way, so long as he's still him and my… first ever friend_."

"Wow… so that's why she didn't chase after me during the Academy. I thought it was because she had one of those long-term rape plans, but it turns out it's gonna be used on Naruto." Sasuke stated cheerfully as Shino and Neji looked at him oddly.

The door to Naruto's apartment came open just as Kiba ran up to them. Naruto looked a mess, and that was saying something compared to the way he always looked. His hair was even more unruly than normal, it was maddened and unkempt. His eyes had slight, yet very noticeable bags under them. Sasuke knew that Naruto must not have slept for the past three days since he had gone straight to his apartment and locked the door before Kakashi and he had come. Naruto's happy grin was nowhere to be found on his face. It was just a pitiful expression; sort of like a kicked puppy.

Hinata nearly broke down crying just at the sight. Sakura was Naruto's teammate, his first crush, and they were just becoming really good friends. For her to be ripped from him and his team; though Sasuke dealt with emotional pain by blaming Itachi for everything and Kakashi had the Memorial Stone, Naruto was the worst off since he didn't know how to cope with lost except curling up in a ball and crying. Even Tenten, Temari, and Ino felt bad for him, all three females and Hinata were checking him out too since his pajama shirt was completely unbuttoned, though Temari tried not as she peeked at him from the corner of her eye.

Tenten looked back from Naruto to Neji, and then back to Naruto and then at Lee. Naruto was more muscular than either of her two teammates, though Lee wasn't that far behind. She had to wonder where muscles like those came from on a fourteen year-old. Shino and Shikamaru exchanged glances and nodded while Neji and Sasuke stepped forward.

"Hinata…" Naruto breathed out as he gazed deep into Hinata's eyes. She stood there, blushing wildly as he and her eyes locked. Then Naruto broke their eye contact as he sniffed the air, "… Ramen?" he asked excitedly as he locked onto the bowl in her hands that Choji had given her.

"You brought me ramen, Hinata-chan? Thank you…" Naruto said as he moved to the same chuckling, "I'm sorry, I forgot my manners. Wouldn't you all come in?" Naruto said as he scratched through his hair in embarrassed amusement.

They filed into his apartment, each looking around since none of them had ever been inside before. It was… surprisingly clean. It was small, but since he lived on his own it must have been more than enough space for just him. He could just as easily live with another person, a girlfriend or roommate as well without too much trouble. The kitchen was bare, much like the rest of the house. They could see very clearly that Naruto lived on either a tight budget, or barely had a budget due to the little money he made.

"Naruto, dude… you live here all by yourself?" Kiba asked as this was the first time he, like everyone else, had been inside Naruto's apartment. If he remembered correctly, then Naruto had been living in the place since before they had even started at the Academy. Naruto simply nodded with a grin as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Yup! Been livin' here since I was six!" Naruto said with a chuckle as everyone made themselves at home in his apartment. Tenten looked around his storage closet while Neji used his Byakugan to see every inch of it. Gaara looked around a bit and frowned ever so slightly. No sand anywhere… how boring.

"I must say, Naruto, I'm impressed. This place is very well kempt to say someone like you lives here." Neji said as Naruto nodded… but then thought over what Neji was implying and grew anger.

"What's that supposed to mean, Neji?" Naruto shouted as Choji and Kiba held him back. Ino gave Neji a look as he smirked to himself.

"Neji, that wasn't very n-nice." Hinata said as he glanced at her and bowed.

"My apologies, Hinata-sama. I was just implying that Uzumaki is a bit more… well kempt and tidy than I would have expected, given the fact that he's relatively… simple-minded." Neji said as he chose his words carefully.

Hinata already but a knife to his throat that day she thought he'd stop her from being with "her Naruto-kun" as put it. Ever since then she's brandished the same knife on him if he even thought about Naruto Uzumaki the wrong way. Hell, he could see the gleam of the knife right behind her back. Yup… he'd be getting cut up when they got home…

"Um… Hinata, what's that behind your back?" Ino asked as a shine caught her eye. Hinata raised her arms from behind her back, the knife safely tucked away inside her kunai pouch.

"Umm… what do you mean?" Hinata asked in timid confusion while Ino gave her a suspicious look, but shrugged all the same.

"Tsk, I thought we were here for the Dope, not to play games and ogle his furniture." Sasuke said as he swiped a finger along the coffee table. Hmm, no dust; Naruto really does keep a tidy house. Then he looked at the curtains in disgust, "By the way, those curtains are clashing with the floor." Sasuke stated off-handedly as everyone stared at him blankly, "What?"

"… Nothing…" They all chorused as Naruto shook his head.

"…um, I'm glad everyone was so worried about me, but I'm fine; really. Listen guys, just make yourselves at home if you want; my place is your place… or something like that." Naruto said as he turned from them and walked into the back of the apartment, where his bedroom was, "But remember; only ladies are allowed back here." Naruto said as he waved a hand to them without turning around. Ino and Tenten blushed as Neji and Shino had to catch the completely red-faced Hinata from collapsing on Naruto's living room floor.

* * *

><p>"What's he gonna do?" Kiba asked as he hopped on the couch and got comfortable.<p>

"Change into something decent, I hope." Shikamaru drawled as he stretched out on the living room floor with Naruto's remote control. He turned on the TV and started flicking through channels while the others watched.

"So, do you guys think Naruto will really be okay? I mean, he seems alright now, but I think that's just a front to stop us from worrying. Who knows how Naruto will be if one of us isn't around." Ino said as Choji and Shino nodded alongside her behind the couch.

"Yeah, you're right. The dope will probably just mope around if we don't kick him back into shape. How about tomorrow we find a mission for him and a few of us to do? That'll help him, and since we're still low on ninja they'll be plenty for us to do." Sasuke said in indifference, though they could clearly tell he was trying to help his friend.

"Yeah, you're right." Ino said as she looked down at Sasuke, who was at one end of the couch next to Kiba and Lee.

"So, you guys wanna crowd my TV, huh?" Naruto's voice came from behind them. He had dressed himself in a black t-shirt with a Konoha symbol on it, and a pair of black pants. He was grinning at them as he came up and put a hand on Hinata's shoulder as she eep-ed.

"Hinata… thank you." Naruto whispered to her as she turned red again. He then looked over all his fellow Genin with a smile on his face, "Thank all of you for caring about me… you have no idea how much it means to me…"

"Ah, stop Naruto! You're making us blush!" Ino said happily with a giggle beside Tenten, both blushing lightly from his sincere smile. Temari crossed her arms and turned up her nose at the statement, yet even she was blushing slightly as Naruto chuckled.

"Sasuke… how are you holding up?" Naruto asked as Sasuke looked at him and they locked eyes. He shrugged as Naruto nodded. They both knew not to speak about it anymore and that they'd help each other with the pain later.

"Well, why not have a little party since we're all here?" Ino suggested as Shikamaru looked at her incredulously.

"Ino, the guy's teammate, and now our former classmate/comrade, is being sentenced to death. Have a little tact will ya." Shikamaru chastised as Ino looked down in shame. Naruto chuckled a bit as he placed his free hand on Ino's shoulder.

"No, Ino's right. We shouldn't wallow in self-pity because of Sakura-chan. She'd want us to be lively while she's alive. I say that if she's g-gonna… you know, then we should live it up so we can cry that much more when it… finally h-happens." Naruto said as he kept himself together while his friends looked at him with even more respect than ever. He was pushing himself to move past Sakura inevitable fate long enough so that when the day came for her execution he could be front row center to tell her they had a party in her honor.

"Yeah, the dope's right. Sakura will beat us if we just mope around, especially me and Naruto." Sasuke said as he lifted himself off Naruto's couch and stretched. That damn thing was so comfy to, "So what do we need to get for the party. I'll buy everything."

"No, allow us to pitch in as well." Gaara said as Temari and Kankuro nodded. It was the least they could do since Naruto was in so much emotional pain.

"Us too." Choji and Ino said as Neji, Tenten, and Lee nodded in agreement.

"I'm game, so count us in too." Kiba said as Shino nodded as Hinata cuddled into Naruto with him blushing slightly.

"Well, sorry guys, but I don't have cash to burn since most of it goes to my place here, but we can use my place for the party and I have some stuff in the back that I've been saving up ever since me and Pervy Sage met." Naruto said as Temari raised a brow.

"Pervy Sage?" she asked as Naruto looked put off, but chuckled a little.

"Sorry, I mean Jiraiya-sensei. He's a self-proclaimed super perv, so I call him Pervy Sage since he's the Toad Sage. He keeps telling me I need to show more respect, but since he's always-" Naruto was explaining until Temari raised a hand, looking annoyed that such a legendary figure was so… urgh, she just didn't know where to start.

"Never mind, Naruto; I don't want to know." She stated curtly as Kankuro backed away from her… and Gaara followed his example.

"So… um… whose gonna go get the stuff?" Kankuro asked as Naruto grinned and formed a cross-seal to get his point across while Kankuro rolled his eyes, "of course…" he muttered.

* * *

><p>It only took about an hour or so for them get everything, and Naruto had his clones go with them and carry most of the stuff. Gaara and Hinata had stayed with him to help setup the place for the party and when everyone was back and everything setup, Naruto had run to the back of the apartment for the "special" things he had been saving up.<p>

"Sake? Dope, we're under age." Sasuke said as Naruto set a glass in front of everyone and opened the first bottle with a nod to him.

"Yeah, that's what I said before I tried it the first time with Pervy- I mean, Jiraiya-sensei. He told me that we're ninja so if we're old enough to k-kill, we're old enough to drink, gamble, and have s-sex." Naruto said, but blushed and mumbled a bit with him last words as he poured the drink in each saucer.

"Fine…" Sasuke said as he downed his drink with little problem, though on the inside he was not happy at all. His throat burned, he wanted to cough like that chain-smoker Asuma, and that sake was not as sweet as he had hoped it to be. Thank goodness for ninja training or less he wouldn't have been able to hide his discomfort from everyone else though Shino, Neji and Gaara could see it in the small twitch of his eye and mouth.

"I guess it couldn't hurt, right?" Ino said as she looked to Tenten and Hinata, who nodded unconvincingly, yet they all took small sips like the others, except Naruto and Shikamaru who downed their drink with experienced ease.

* * *

><p>"Come on Shika, have a little more." Ino said, slightly slurring her words as she poured sake into the young Nara's saucer.<p>

"Yeah, man! Why won't you drink with us?" Kankuro whined at the still sober Nara. Three hours of them all drinking, playing games, eating, and everything else the only people still sober enough to walk a straight _road_ were Naruto, Gaara, Shikamaru, Choji, and Lee.

"Someone has to get all you troublesome people home, and I know it's not gonna be you." Shikamaru said taking a sip from his sake, which had only been his third. Sasuke scoffed at him from his position on the floor with Temari and Kiba.

"I can go home by myself. I'm the cool one, the living apathy, the avenger." Sasuke said, standing up and falling down like an infant learning how to walk. Temari laughed at him, while Kiba stood on wobbling legs.

"I'll walk drag home with me if I have to." Kiba said, his jacket already off like just about everyone else except the ones who didn't even where jackets.

"So that's why people don't like you? Man, that's harsh." Kiba said as he sat at the table with Naruto, the both drinking in somber quiet as the others were in the kitchen as well.

"Yeah, but when I found out about it I was all like, "Holy crap, the Yondaime sealed the Kyuubi into me!", but now I'm just, "Hey fur-ball, give me power or I'll kick your furry ass." You understand how it is, right Gaara?" Naruto said as he looked to Gaara, who nodded out of politeness.

"Man, I feel for ya. My clan gets harshed all the time. One time I caught a guy whispering something about us practicing bestiality. I don't even know what that means!" Kiba whined as he nursed his glass and downed the contents while Naruto and Shino nodded sagely.

"I can concur, since people thing my clan's bugs will just suddenly attack them, or that we have a fetish with them."

"What's a fetish?" Naruto asked as Sasuke patted his back.

"You don't wanna know, my friend." Sasuke said as Gaara nodded.

"Well, people think my clan is always in their heads. Plus, they think that I'm some cheap tavern girl or something." Ino said as she knocked back her drink and leaned into Naruto with Hinata growling a bit on the other side of the blond.

"That could have something to do with the way you dress." Lee mumbled, but in the drunken silence they all heard him. Ino raised a brow as she looked over her shoulder at Lee and shrugged.

"You're probably right. Hey, weren't you gonna win Sakura's heart or something?" Ino asked as Lee's grip on his saucer tightened a bit.

"I was, but a few days before _that_ mission she and I had a talk on the bridge. I would- no I _will_ win her heart, _but not_ _right now_!" Lee said as he sipped his drink in determination.

"Well good on ya. Now that I think about it, Sakura and I wasted so many years chasing and fighting over this asshole." Ino said bluntly as she jabbed a thumb in Sasuke's direction, "But I think we can final let it go, ya know? We always knew he'd never chose us, and it was always something we could bond over, but now if she lives; we can just be friends."

"Hey, I'm not that much of an asshole!" Sasuke yelled indignantly as Shino and Choji gave him a look, "Okay, so I am, but at least I have an emo backstory to explain it."

"You've had too much to drink, haven't you?" Temari said as Sasuke scoffed.

"Not yet I haven't. When I start ranting about my family, that's when I know my thoughts are out in the open and I can step back from the bottle."

"Right… so, um… anyone got a story?" Naruto asked hopefully as Choji looked up in interest.

"Oh, I have one!"

"Then please, do share." Kankuro said as he moved Temari over in her seat so he could sit with her.

* * *

><p>"… and that's why I'll never rice balls again." Choji finished as everyone stared. Drunk or not they were all completely disgusted by that story. Half of them didn't even know a woman could do that with a rice ball, and the male half didn't want to know why the guy ate it afterward.<p>

"Choji… you just turned me off of one of my favorite foods. Never _ever_ say anything like that again." Sasuke said as Choji chuckled nervously.

"I'm still trying to comprehend how she got the sea weed out of the-" Naruto began but Hinata shook her head.

"Remember, the guy used his tongue and-"

"Okay, that's enough reliving _that_ story! Can we please move on to something else?" Sasuke said as he covered his ears. They were making him think about all the precious rice balls he had made at home, and now he would be able to pig out on them while he reminisced about the good times with Sakura.

Suddenly he realized that it was gonna be a very short reminiscence…

"How about Spin the Kunai?" Ino suggested as she, Temari, and Tenten got a weird gleam in their eyes. Naruto wasn't sure if it was good or bad.

"Um… what's Spin the Kunai?" Lee asked as Naruto sighed in relief. Sometimes he didn't want to seem like the goofy out-of-the-loop kid. Thank Lee for being even more goof and out-of-the-loop!

"It's a game, Lee." Tenten began as she pulled out a kunai, from Kami knows where, "Basically it's like the civilian's Spin the Bottle, but with a kunai. Also, you have to do it, even if you land on someone of the same gender."

"So… I might have to kiss one of the nine other males here…?" Lee said… a little too hopefully as he looked at everyone in the room. Naruto was really hoping it was just the sake making him and the others smile the way they were, especially Hinata with her predator's smile aimed at him.

"Yup, that's the way it works; if it lands on you, you must kiss the person that spun it." Tenten said with a shrug as she fiddled with the kunai.

"No cheating, Tenten." Neji said as she looked struck.

"Neji, how dare you accuse me of such a thing; I would never cheat!" Tenten said, offended that Neji would even think her so low.

"So you didn't just add a magnetic chakra pulse to it to make it land on Naruto, myself, or Lee? Remember who have the all-seeing eyes, Tenten." Neji replied, sipping his drink with a smirk playing on his lips.

"Damn you, Hyuga…" Tenten muttered darkly as she removed her jutsu from the kunai. Okay, she was low, but at least she would have been with a great set of lips on hers.

They all sat in Naruto's living room as they began the game. Naruto wasn't sure why he was so calm about the whole thing. He had only had one kiss, and even though that one person didn't complain about it, he felt like multiple people were watching him with a predatorily stare. Unknown to him and least half the people in the circle for the game had become curious about Sasuke's drunken rant earlier about just how good a kisser Naruto was. They really wanted to find out.

* * *

><p>Naruto couldn't tell if he was winning or not, but that didn't stop him from having his lips on those of Hinata, or her from shoving her tongue down his throat with the proclamation that she had been waiting nearly ten years for the eight kisses they had shared so far. He was sure she was cheating somehow, because the only under people she had gotten on her spins was Ino, Temari, and Shino once. He himself had gotten just about everyone, and after their lips would make contact, each and every one of his partners would roughly shove their tongues down his throat, even Sasuke, Gaara, and Shino! Hell, even Lee did it, but at least he apologized for it afterward, even if he did with a grin and wink.<p>

Now Naruto was always and forever a fun-lovin' guy, but he knew that things were starting to get a little out of hand, especially with Kankuro shoving his hands down other people's pants, though Temari remedied that problem with a smack to his head by a meter tall fan which weighed roughly around twenty pounds. Gaara seemed to be coming out of his shell to. He, Shino, and Kiba had even started rating people on how good they were; currently Naruto was winning, but Ino was a close second and she promised she would not be beaten by _Naruto_ of all people, even if he was incredible with his tongue. Sasuke and Neji were fighting over whose hair was better, and somehow it ended with Sasuke and Neji braiding _Tenten's_ hair while Choji put theirs in pigtails.

Man this little party was getting out of control…

* * *

><p>"Hey," Naruto yelled as he separated from Hinata, "my kitchen sink is not a bathroom, Kankuro! Kankuro, I'm not messin' around with you!"<p>

"_**YOU ARE MY FRIEND**_!" Sasuke sang to Naruto, "_**Aah, you still remember the dream we had that day, don't you**_?"

"_**YOU ARE MY DREAM**_!" Naruto sang to Hinata and Sasuke, "_**Aah, we'd just gotten started**_!"

"_**You are MY LONG LOST FRIEND**_!" Naruto and Sasuke sang as everyone else laughed at them.

"_**Whoa, it's time to get moving**_!" Shikamaru drawled as he looked at his watch.

"_**THANK YOU MY FRIEND**_!" Kiba sang loudly as Shino dragged him out of Naruto's house, having sobered up enough to remember he didn't live there.

"_**Aah, I haven't forgotten what happened on that day**_!" Ino sang as Shikamaru dragged her out with Choji close behind, munching on the plate of food Naruto said he could take.

"_**YOU ARE MY DREAM**_!" Kankuro sang, but then got smack by Temari and she

"_**Aah, next time I'll protect you MY WAY**_!" Lee sang as Tenten shook her head at him. She got up on unsteady feet and drunkenly stumbled over to Lee as they leaned on each other with practiced ease. Neji shook his head as he glanced back at Hinata, who was still on Naruto's couch.

"_**Whoa, THE DISTANCE**_!" Naruto sang as he shut the door behind Neji. Sasuke and Hinata were still there, but they looked really comfy on his couch and floor.

He was just about to go in the back and get cleaned up when Sasuke got up.

"Hey, Mr. I don't need your water, because I'm Sasuke and I don't get hangovers." Naruto said as Sasuke trudged up to him and smack him weakly.

"Shut up, and get me some of that damn water." Sasuke said as he briefly remembered singing with Naruto and then passing out the next second. Damn, now he knew why Uchiha didn't party…

"Here ya go, asshole." Naruto said as Sasuke caught the bottle barely. He downed the thing like it'd keep him young and beautiful forever.

"I'm gonna go now, because if I stay here any longer I'll throw up on your floors, or those curtains just from looking at them." Sasuke said as he glared at the curtains.

"What is with you and my curtains, man?" Naruto said as he opened the door for Sasuke, who stopped just outside of it and turned back to Naruto.

"At least they're not as bad as Kakashi's. Red silk drapes with lime green carpet." Sasuke said as he repressed a shudder while Naruto could actually see why that was a bit scary.

"Whatever, see ya tomorrow." Naruto said as he tried to close the door, but Sasuke stopped it with his foot.

"What're you gonna do about her?" Sasuke said as he looked past Naruto's shoulder at the couch with the resting Hyuga heiress.

"I don't know. Neji said to just let her sleep, and that he'd tell Hiashi she was with Ino. Did you know that's both a lie and the truth?" Naruto said as Sasuke shook his head. Yes, the party was a success and their lovable moron was back to full idiotic capacity.

"Yes, Naruto, that's what we smart and intelligent people call a half-truth." Sasuke replied as if he were talking to a four year-old. Naruto gave him the middle finger and told him to fuck off as he slammed the door in Sasuke's face.

* * *

><p>Naruto sighed as he leaned against his door. While they had been going through songs the last hour of the night he had his clones do the cleaning, dish washing and reorganizing of his house. It was so good to know that he had clones to do all his work…<p>

He took a shower and got into his sleep wear as he sat at his bedroom study desk. There was only one thing that he needed to do before he went to bed tonight. He needed to be sure this last thing was done. He had his fun and laughs with his friends, but he needed to get back to business. This was important to the future! If not, then everything could fall apart before he went to kill S-

"Naruto-kun…?" a soft and timid voice cut through his thoughts as he looked at his bedroom door and smiled softly. It was Hinata, standing there with a blanket draped over her shoulders.

"Hinata…" Naruto said lightly as she stepped into the barely lit room. The only light he had in his bed room was the desk lamp he was using to light the scroll he was writing in. She looked away from him as she blushed lightly.

"I know it's late and all-" Hinata began but Naruto pointed a finger at the window, which showed a very faint orange hue.

"It's either very late or very early, since the sun will be up in about two or three more hours. We really put the night away." Naruto said with amusement as Hinata fidgeted with the blanket.

"W-would it be t-too much trouble if I w-were to… stay and talk with you for a little while?" Hinata asked as she mustered up all her courage. To say that Naruto was shocked was a bit of an understatement. Hinata hadn't quite been out of it earlier like Kiba or even Sasuke, but she had been at least buzzed. She was trying to put the moves on him. He shook his head as he got up from his chair. The writing could wait just a little while longer… or perhaps he could kill two birds with one shuriken.

"I-If you say no, I'll u-understand!" Hinata said as Naruto chuckled.

"Hinata, you're my friend and a guest in my house. Do you really think I'm that heartless, even at this time a night?" Naruto said as he guided Hinata into the room, "You can come in and sleep on the bed, but until you fall asleep we can talk as I deal with this really important thing."

"Um… right…" Hinata said as she laid on Naruto's bed, hugged his sheets close to her, and engulfed their scent with her nose. Ahh, old habits die hard…

Naruto retook his place beside the bed at his desk. She could tell he was writing something, but if he was writing it and not sleep, then it must have been important. Whatever it was she probably shouldn't bother him with questions about it…

"So what is it, Hinata?" Naruto asked, not lifting his eyes from the scroll as he spoke. His voice was so warm and kind…

"Umm… well… I'm sorry, I d-don't remember…" Hinata said sheepishly as she covered her head with his sheets. She was making a fool out of herself thinking she could talk to Naruto with no problems.

"Well, that's fine." Naruto said with a chuckle as she uncovered her head, "You know, you're a very good person Hinata. You're so strong, and yet so kind."

"No Naruto-kun, it's you whose the strong and kind one. You're always helping others, and shouldering the burdens of your life all on your own." Hinata countered as he gave a slight chuckle.

"I'm glad I have you… and all the others as well; I'd want all of you to go on and make sure that you help each other. That will be my last wish, Hinata… Noble, don't you think?"

"Naruto…" Hinata whispered out as she gazed at his writing form. Was he serious, and why was he bringing it up now all of a sudden?

"Naruto, can I ask one more thing of you?" Hinata said, no stuttering yet he could still hear the timid undertone of her voice.

"What is it, Hinata?" Naruto asked as he continued his writing, unraveling the scroll further.

"If it wouldn't bother you, and I promise no more questions or anything; could I just lay here and watch you." Hinata asked as Naruto chuckled and turned to her, his eyes so full of amusement at her request.

"Sure, you can stay there as long as you like, Hinata. Just fall asleep and I'll finish up with these writings. I'll go to sleep on the couch tonight so you can have the bed to yourself." Naruto said kindly as he turned to her with a smile that made her believe everything, no matter how saddening, bleak, or hopeless; that things would always turn out alright. He was the only person she knew that could smile like that; a smile of absolute determination and hope.

"Thank you… for everything, Naruto-kun…" Hinata said as she settled herself and watched him while he wrote. He would switch out the scrolls he wrote on, but he still wrote in complete silence as she watched him.

* * *

><p>It wasn't very long before sleep claimed her. She fell asleep with a smile on her face as her dreams were filled with the peace that Naruto's smile seemed to promise.<p>

Unknown to her though, as soon as Naruto heard her quiet snoring he frowned as he wrote feverishly. His peaceful and kind smile turned into a grim frown as he looked over his words. They were perfect, now all he had to do was get the scrolls to the right people and he'd be able to stop all the madness and the chaos that would soon engulf them all. After he delivering the scrolls he'd confront that bastard about everything he had discovered and then he'd put an end to it all before it even got started. E glanced out the window and saw that it was daybreak, which meant that in a couple of hours every ninja would be awaked.

He needed to get a move on… and fast!

He left his apartment silently and swiftly as he moved from one place to another. It didn't take long for him to accomplish the first parts of his plan, now all that was left was to confront the bastard. He had arrived at Training Ground Seven almost twenty minutes after he had set out. He knew what he had to do here, and he knew the person he had to speak with was already there.

"You've been tailing me for quite some time now. When are you gonna get tired of the shadows and face me… Sai?" Naruto said as he slowly turned to face the tree line behind him, from which Sai came out grinning playful.

"I suppose all good things and people must come to an end…" Sai remarked as he unsheathed the tantō on his back, revealing it to have no tip, "That's an interesting blade yo have there." Sai commented as he gazed at the sheathed sword at Naruto's right hip. It was a simply normal katana with a green handle; the only decoration being the guard, which was a hexagon instead of the standard rectangle. The two sides parallel to the blade were long, whereas the four sides above and below the blade were shortened, making it into almost a diamond or prism-like shape. It has a green handle.

"Thanks" Naruto replied curtly as he began unsheathing it, "But you've seen it before, many times with the way you've spied on me and kept track of my movements for _Danzo_. The jig is up, Sai; no more deception. Oh, let's skip the rest of the witty banter and fight. I told you _not_ to underestimate me." Naruto said with a serious face and frown as he and Sai began to build up their chakra-levels, causing the very earth around them to uproot as the air became dense.

"Fine, I was hoping to have a little more fun before business, but business is business I suppose." Sai said as he leapt at Naruto.

* * *

><p>Hinata awoke from the most peaceful sleep she had ever had. The bed wasn't as soft as she remembered her bed being and the constant smell of ramen filled the air, unlike what she remembered of her room since she'd always liked the smell of lavender. Her eyes fluttered open as an alarm clock went off… wait; she didn't have an alarm clock.<p>

She sprang up as she looked around, obviously not in her room or even her house for that matter. She looked around and found the alarm clock as she shut it off. It read… 9:30! She was late meeting with her team, half an hour late for that matter. She jumped out of bed, realizing that she had been fully clothed as she looked around more wildly. Where was she? Memories of last night filled her head as she clutched it. Damn the hangover, it was killing her! Okay she was in Naruto's apartment, but where was he?

"Naruto, Naruto-kun!" she called out as she ran through the apartment, grabbing one of his bottles of water and rushing out his front door.

"Why didn't he wake me up before he left? He and my team meet around the same time." Hinata said aloud as she jumped from his building to another.

"I'll have to use shortcut #23 just so I'm not ten _more_ minutes late." Hinata said as she jumped from off a roof and ran through an alley. The alley opened up to what used to being the village meeting hall, but ever since Orochimaru attacked the village meeting place became either the Hokage tower or the Chunin Exam Stadium.

Though while she was running through the place something wet fell on her forehead as she ran under the high court wall. She didn't really bother with it because she didn't care, but then it slipped down her face to her nose where she could see it slightly. She stopped just short of being out of the old square when she brought a hand up to where it was. She touched it and brought her hand out to where she could see the liquid better. She was already pretty close to the training ground, so it wouldn't matter much if she pondered her thoughts.

"Blood?" Hinata whispered to herself as she looked at the crimson red liquid. Her eyes went back to where it fell on her and she quickly realized that her footprints were made in blood as well. She followed the trail her footprints made and saw a rather large and unhealthy pool of blood, but what was worst was that it seemed to ripple every now and then. She walked over to get a better look, and saw that the rippling was coming from drops of blood coming from up above.

She looked up, expecting to see a small animal or even some random ninja dead, but what caught her sight was something she would never forget. The blood was everywhere, smeared roughly over the pale white wall. Impaled into the high wall by a green handle katana, which her mind would later work out as a form of display, was a young teenage boy who looked no older than she was. His sun-kissed blond hair was damped to his face. His cerulean blue eyes held no warmth, but were no more than lifeless orbs that showed his death. His whisker marks were barely visible as the blood stained his face. His once cheer filled and peaceful smile was now no more than an empty grimace upon his face. The boy's clothes stained with his own blood.

Her eyes widened in horror. She felt like breaking down, like throwing up, but it was like her body had yet to register what her eyes were seeing. She felt bile rise in her throat as she wanted to fall to her knees, but couldn't. Tears of shock and anguish mixed with disbelief brimming over her eyes and dripping onto the ground as she couldn't tear her gaze away from the mutilated body of the blond boy. Finally her mind caught up to her eyes as she let out an ear-splitting scream that was heard all over the village.

"AHH!" Hinata screamed, loudly at that as she could do nothing but that. The volume of the scream let out only a mere fraction of what her heart was feeling as she looked up at the boy.

Naruto Uzumaki had been murdered…


	3. Unidentified! Everyone's a Suspect!

**Chapter 3: Unidentified! Everyone's a Suspect!**

* * *

><p>Hinata Hyuga looked up to where the dripping blood had been coming from, expecting to see a small animal or even some random ninja dead like any other day, but what caught her sight was something she would never forget.<p>

The blood was everywhere, smeared roughly over the pale white wall. Impaled into the high wall by a green handle katana (which her mind worked out as a form of display) was a young teenage boy who looked no older than she was. His sun-kissed blond hair was damped to his face. His cerulean blue eyes held no warmth, but were no more than lifeless orbs that showed his death. His whisker marks were barely visible as the blood stained across his face and dripped from his forehead. His once cheerful and peace-filled smile was now no more than an empty grimace upon his face. The boy's clothes stained with his own blood as his empty hands fell slack at his sides.

Her eyes widened in horror. She felt like breaking down, like throwing up, but it was like her body had yet to register what her eyes were seeing. She felt bile rise in her throat as she wanted to fall to her knees, but couldn't. Tears of shock and anguish mixed with disbelief brimming passed her eyes and dripping onto the ground as she couldn't tear her gaze away from the mutilated body of the blond boy. Finally her mind caught up to her eyes as she let out an ear-splitting scream that was heard all over the village.

"AHH!" Hinata screamed, louder than she could ever remember doing in her entire life. The volume of the scream let out only a mere fraction of what her heart was feeling as she looked up at the boy.

Naruto Uzumaki was dead.

* * *

><p>In the Hokage's office, Tsunade was desperately trying to even out her temper and her daily hangover. It was tough, especially since Gaara and his siblings came with terrible news that no one in the Hidden Leaf would want to hear.<p>

The Hidden Sand had been placed on lock down after the deaths of not only Elder Siblings Chiyo and Ebisu, but also Gaara's own sensei Baki. There were others that had died as well, but she didn't catch their names. It seemed that the Hidden Sound was getting out of hand if they could just waltz into the Hidden Sand and slaughter its people before Gaara and the others had took actions.

But something in the back of her head just didn't believe the story. Something just wasn't clicking. It was almost like-

A scream of unparalleled sorrow and volume broke through her thoughts. The ANBU hidden in the shadows of her office were already out to defend her as Shizune came bursting through the door carrying Tonton.

"Tsunade-sama!" Shizune called as she panted.

"I heard it, Shizune. Let's go!" Tsunade said as she moved swiftly from behind her desk and out the door. Something was wrong, and the cracked picture of a happily smiling Naruto and herself was proof enough.

She only hoped her luck wasn't that bad…

* * *

><p>At the Training Grounds, all Genin teams and the Sand siblings were assembled, yet they weren't exercising or anything more than sitting on their asses as they waited for Naruto and Hinata. Kiba made many lewd comments that he was smacked for, and even Kankuro joined in on a few really good ones. Ever since the party last night everyone felt more at ease with each other, even if a few of them couldn't remember much of the night.<p>

Kakashi sat next to Sasuke, Shikamaru, and Neji as he read his book. He had been a bit worried when most of the kids showed up at Training Ground Ten with bottled water and medicine, but was told that they all had "a long night", which for just about any normal person translated to "I have a hangover, and if you fuck with me now, I'll kick your sorry one-eyed ass". So naturally he had to be overly loud when telling them that they needed everyone to be there before they got started, and then even louder when someone sarcastically replied that they didn't catch his words from behind his mask. It was a good thing he carried a megaphone in a sealed scroll in his scroll pouch…

Asuma sat next to Tenten, Ino, and Choji as he smoked his cigarette. Choji happily told him about last night while Ino lazily nodded like Shikamaru would have done. He was fairly impressed that his students could get as shit-faced as they did without having called sick for the day. That meant that next week he'd have to take them out and show them that he was still better than "they're too young to wipe their own asses" young asses. He may have been older than most of their fathers, but he still had it. It wasn't the fact that he was having a mid-life crisis either. Nope, that he nothing to do with proving he was still a "spry young rooster out on the prowl for chicks". He had Kurenai, and him tappin' that up-tight and prudish ass was proof enough. 'nough said…

Kurenai sat with Shino, Gaara, and Temari as she felt like lecturing the kids on such lewd acts and under-aged drinking. What did they think they were? Adults? Sure they could go out into the world and kill for their paychecks, but drinking, kissing games, and the possibly of sex? That was where the line had to be drawn! She would be having a very prudish conversation with Naruto Uzumaki when he arrived. Having a party while they, as in the true adults, were out drinking and having sex with one-nightstands and their relationship partners. The noodle-lovin' boy had to have lost his mind…

Gai stood in the center of the field as he loudly excited his pride in Lee for having earned a kiss, chastise or not, from, everyone at the party before it was over with. While the game was a point to make kissing the same gender not fun, Lee loudly excited that Naruto was the best of all, and everyone else had to grudgingly agree, especially Ino. Gai had been so proud when he found out that Lee had also coped a feel for Tenten as well, but when Tenten overheard and exclaimed that she had thought Lee was Naruto when he had his hands up her shirt, Lee had taken a very large and very blunt weapon to the head right before Gai met the same fate. She then waved the large bat around, telling everyone that if they so much as _thought_ to breathe a word of it she'd kill them personally. They had all simply nodded and moved away from her… well all except Kankuro who, for some reason, was slightly turned on when the woman with weapons wasn't his own sister.

However, before she could hit Kankuro over the head for not being Naruto, or even Neji for that matter, a loud and agonizing scream was heard from the village. Kakashi snapped his book shut as Rock Lee and Gai stopped pretending to be unconscious in their craters. Asuma inhaled his cigarette deeply and then flicked the remaining bud away as Kurenai stood amongst the startled Genin, thought they were only slightly startled by the sudden volume.

"Who in the hell was that screaming?" Temari asked as she was sure that wasn't an everyday occurrence.

"It sounded like it came from the old town square." Sasuke said as Neji nodded in agreement.

"That sounded like it was Hinata." Kiba said, his advanced senses having recognized the voice which screamed.

Gaara stood as he led the others toward the scream, intend on finding out exactly who created it, and why.

* * *

><p>"So tell me again where you've been this morning, Sai?" Danzo asked with a cold and narrowed look at Sai, who only grinned back with a poker face.<p>

"I told you, I was taking care of a _problem_ on the way here, Danzo-sama." Sai said in mock politeness with his grin still in place. If it weren't for Sai being his most trusted agent, he would have had the boy retrained for showing disrespect with his fake smile, and his narrow eyed look of self-satisfaction.

"What _problem,_ Sai?" Danzo asked forcefully as Sai merely waved his hand at the dense chakra Danzo was giving off. He wasn't intimidated by it at all, but he knew he was on very thin ice with his fun.

"I told you, Danzo-sama, you'll see in a moment." Sai said as Danzo gritted his teeth, and was about to back-hand the boy through a shop as they walked down the street, but stopped when he heard a mighty scream of despair.

Shame he hadn't caused it…

"Ah, there it is… So beautiful…" Sai said in mock affection as he reveled in the scream. Danzo thought it over, and smirked as he began to hobble toward where the scream had come from.

Maybe he had caused it after all? Even if it was only indirectly…

* * *

><p>"ACHOO!" Jiraiya sneezed as he sat up on his futon. He had been asleep all day and night with his illness, but he could tell that he was getting over it. It was just a shame that Kakashi had caught a worst illness than him from their last mission together. Though Tsunade said that Kakashi wouldn't be showing signs of illness until at least today. He'd have to bring the boy some… "worded art" to help with the healing process. After all, proper blood flow was important to any human body…<p>

"Still feeling un-well, Jiraiya-sama?" a voice came from outside his bedroom door as it opened to reveal Anko grinning down at him like she did when torturing a spy. It unnerved him slightly, but turned him on so much more.

As if reading his mind, Anko brought up her foot and stomped it into his male parts repeatedly with her grinning widening each time. She simply loved causing the old perv pain.

"I-Is there an r-reason you're here…?" Jiraiya asked in a slightly higher voice than his normal one as he clutched at his precious parts. He knew he'd never be the same again…

"Not really, only to warn you that if we fine and upstanding ladies of society catch you peeping ever again, we'll chop apart your man bits. Got it?" Anko said alluringly as she smiled down at Jiraiya. He had a feeling that she'd take great pleasure in fulfilling that threat and so would a long list of women, Tsunade being up top in gold letters for her years of faithful service at being on that list.

Before he could get out any emasculent words of submission, a piercing scream of woe washed over them. Anko licked her lips at it, but Jiraiya jumped up with a serious face, though he was back at his knees coughing when he had. Anko helped him back into bed as he knew he wouldn't be going anywhere.

"Go on without me. I'm in no condition to follow after you. I haven't even gotten my medicine or any true clothes. Come back and tell me what's happened, won't you?" Jiraiya said as Anko nodded, out the door in a flash as she rushed to whatever poor unfortunate soul made that scream. She was sure that even though she was enjoying their agony, that somewhere in the pit of her stomach, she wouldn't be for long…

* * *

><p>As people, ninja and civilian alike poured into the small town square, each of them gazed up at the body of Naruto Uzumaki in shock and a range of other emotions. While only a fair few were happy to see the boy finally dead, they quickly found themselves morose at the sight of the young girl kneeling under his crucified body crying.<p>

The first of known people to arrive on the scene were Gaara and his two siblings, Temari and Kankuro. All three of them looked up at the body of their friend while features of shock and anguish. Gaara dropped to his knees, clutching his head as Temari and Kankuro comforted him, though they were unable to turn their gaze away from crucified body of their friend; the one responsible for having saved both Gaara and their family.

"Impossible…" Kankuro breathed out as he patted Gaara's back. Temari could only nod in agreement as she gazed up at the body in horror.

The next to arrive was Anko. While she had been grinning the entire time she made her way there, as soon as her eyes took in the sight of Naruto's dead body, she sobered up, and broke down crying right next to Gaara and Hinata. The only person who gave her hope. The only one to smile through out all life had thrown at him. The one who made her believe that just because Orochimaru was evil, didn't mean she was too. He had been her guiding light, and someone had stabbed through him like a rock breaking a light bulb.

"No way… I-It can't be!" Anko sobbed out as she cried.

When Asuma and his team arrived with Kurenai, Kiba, and Shino not far behind they each had to wade through the crowds of crying and sorrowful people in order to get to the front. Once they did each of them were wide-eyed at the sight before them.

Asuma's cigarette fell from his mouth as his jaw dropped in horror. It wasn't long before he too dropped to his knees with tears in his eyes. He pounded at the ground beneath him with his fists as he though of yet another person he had loved like family being murdered by those that simply won't be normal and follow the law. The boy had never did any real harm to anyone, and yet some punk had come along and murdered him just like Orochimaru had his dad. Naruto had loved his father like a grandfather, and Asuma had to admit that if he ever had a son he would have wanted him to be like Naruto. The boy had been an example to them all, following the law, and still smiling when others had downed him. Asuma decided then that he would stop being lazy, and crush any law-breaker that crossed his path. Orochimaru had been allowed to go free when his father had failed to do so, and now Naruto was dead from an unknown criminal as well.

"No! Never again!" Asuma shouted out as he gazed up at Naruto's body through tearful eyes.

"Impossible… Naruto? He was m-murdered?" Ino asked in shock as her eyes landed on Naruto's impaled form.

Ino's tears fell silently as she placed her hand over her heart. True she didn't have much of a connection with Naruto. He hadn't really changed her life or anything, but just seeing him around the village; helping people and happy to do so, had given her a bit of comfort in her choice to be a ninja. It had only been once, but she had been in a funk over whether she still wanted to be a ninja three weeks ago. Naruto had found her, and the two talked; mostly because he won't take "no" for an answer when he saw her crying. She had told him how some of the older kunoichi had said things to her that hurt her feelings, but he told her that she made a great ninja. He had encouraged her to continue doing what she had wanted, but not because he was being nice. He had actually thought she made a great kunoichi, even if he said that she needed to stay out of the flower shop and gossip circles, and do more training. So now that he was gone, what did that mean for her? Even she had to admit, she had begun to fall for him…

Shikamaru was shocked to his very core. The Ninja Academy had told them to prepare to see their best friends dead in the line of service, but he had never actually thought Naruto would be one of them. Then there was the fact that they were _inside_ of their _own_ village. They had all just been _partying_ together just last night! Shikamaru dropped down next to Asuma as his shock washed over him. Was no place safe anymore? Was this the truth of the ninja world? It was with these thoughts that Shikamaru made two promises to himself. The first was to stop being lazy and start using his vast intelligence to help protect those he cared for. The second was to use said intellect to find the one who killed Naruto.

Choji could do nothing aside from stare up at Naruto's body.

Shino hid all his emotions well, but the shaking of his body told the entire story of his shock and sorrow.

"No way…" Kiba said as he gazed up at one of his best friends, who was now dead. Naruto being dead was supposed to be an impossibly. They had all just joked about it last night!

Kurenai couldn't do anything but try and comfort both her Genin, and Asuma. She hadn't really known the young Uzumaki boy, but from Hinata's love of him, and Asuma's care of him, she felt that he had to have been a good person. She settled for hugging Hinata as she patted Asuma's back.

It took Sasuke and Kakashi a while to get through the crowds of crying women, and solemn men as they moved to the front of the crowds. When they got to the front, they met the same sight that everyone else refused to believe.

Kakashi was speechless. Here was his one of his only three students crucified upon a building, and just after Sakura had been imprisoned and waiting for her execution. It was like his sensei and teammates all over again… At the mere thought of reliving his teammates deaths with this fresh new one, Kakashi lowered his mask and vomited blood onto the ground. His hands began to shake violently and his legs gave out underneath him.

"No, dammit… Not now…" Kakashi said as he coughed up blood while some of the ninja around helped him to the hospital.

Sasuke was hit the worst. Here was the only person he could or would ever call his best friend. The only person that made him believe killing Itachi was possible. The only one who could ever get a positive emotion out of him, even though he annoyed him. Sasuke, through tearful eyes and a heavy heart, staggered up beside Hinata and dropped down next to her. He cried worst than the night his family had been killed by his own brother. Had his brother come back to take away the only happiness he had left?

"No, Naruto! Why? Why, you _bastard_?" Sasuke yelled to the heavens as he cried, pounding his fist into the ground. He could just imagine Itachi killing one of the only people he called friend, telling Naruto how weak he was against the Uchiha might. That bastard!

"What the hell is going on here? Clear the way!" Tsunade yelled as she came upon the crowd. The large crowd of saddened people parted a way as Tsunade walked up.

It was when she saw what was before her that her heart stopped at the very sight. Shizune gave a gasp of shock and covered her mouth at the sight. Tsunade didn't breakdown, though. She knew that there would be plenty of time for that later in the day. So as the tears rolled down her face, she strutted forward with a stone face as she moved to stand next to both Hinata and Sasuke. She couldn't breakdown looking up at Naruto's impaled form. No, she was the Hokage now… she had to set a good example…

"I want this village on lockdown! All civilians out of here! Ninja, secure the village, and prepare a message to the Fire Daimyo! Move!" Tsunade commanded as her voice stayed a solemn steady and her face a river of tears.

The ninja did as they were commanded, but each gave a look back at Naruto's dead body before they went off to do their duties. He would be avenged, they each swore to themselves as they moved about quickly. The only one that hadn't moved were the those still crying in front of the pool of Naruto's dripping blood. Asuma and his team, Kurenai and her own, Sasuke, Anko, and the Sand siblings.

Team Gai had just made it when the other ninja were leaving.

"What happened? We fell behind due to people traffic?" Tenten said as they ran up to the others, not noticing the dead body crucified on the wall.

"Hinata-sama, what happened?" Neji asked, shaking her lightly to get her to notice him and stop crying, "Please, Hinata-sama, answer me!"

Lee tapped Neji shoulder, and Neji looked up only to see Lee wide0eyed and crying as he pointed up at something. Neji followed Lee's gaze and his own pupil-less eyes widened in horror as he and his team noticed Naruto's dead being.

"T-That's… i-impossible!" Neji said in disbelief as he gazed up at the body. It had to be fake. It simply couldn't be real. It was an illusion, some kind of trick. It couldn't be real!

"Ahh! He was murdered?" Tenten said as she too gazed at Naruto's still bleeding form in utter horror. Naruto couldn't be dead! He was too important, and too good to have been murdered like this! It all had to be a bad dream! A horror nightmare that she hoped she woke up from soon.

* * *

><p>Once everyone was cleared from the area, Tsunade was about to address them with some words to move on, but a mocking voice came from the far entrance of the area interrupting her.<p>

"My, my. What's all this racket so early in the morning?" the mocking voice said as every turned back to see only a grinning Sai with a pleased looking Danzo behind him. Sai seemed to look up at Naruto's dead body as if just noticing it, and his grin grew.

"Oh that. Yes, it certainly is a tragedy." Sai said a mock cheerfulness as Hinata's face turned from sorrowful to grief-ridden anger.

"Argh! It was _you!"_ Hinata yelled out as she remembered Sasuke and Shikamaru talking to her and the others about the guy that had threatened Naruto secretly. It had to be him!

Hinata was a blur of motion as tears fell to through the air behind her in her enraged and grieving state. She had crossed the distance between them and Sai before most could react with an open-palm strike already reared back. Her hand glowed brightly with blue charka as it took on the shape of a lion's head.

She thrust forward with her full might, and right before she hit Sai's smug face her attack just seemed to stop short and her arm was caught by someone.

"Shikamaru! Lee! Let go of me!" Hinata yelled as Shikamaru held her in place by her shadow and Lee held her arm.

"We can't let you do that, Hinata, and you know this!" Shikamaru shouted back as the others stood shocked by her actions.

Hinata struggled against their hold as Sai chuckled lightly while looking down at her.

"Lee, stand aside. He's a murder!" Hinata shouted as Lee only shook his head sadly.

"I know how you must feel right now, Hinata-san, but I can't allow you to do this. Attacking another Konoha ninja is against the law, and punishable by incarceration. We don't know who might have murdered Naruto, but we must allow him to live _if_ he did it." Lee stated with a sad look in his eyes, but glared slightly as he glanced at Sai fron the corner of his eye.

Sai only scoffed at Hinata before turning away while Danzo moved off to the side to watch the events transpire. Sai began to walk away and Hinata glared at him in pure hate as that smug fake smile stayed in place. When she moved forward slightly, Lee tightened his grip on her arm while Shikamaru re-enforced his jutsu's strength. Lee shook his head as he gazed down at Hinata, hoping she would give up.

"But he's a murder, Shikamaru! Let me go!" Hinata shouted in grief as Shikamaru narrowed his eyes.

"You know that I can't, Hinata!" Shikamaru yelled back as Hinata grew an more firece look on her face.

"Stand aside, both of you! I'll _kill_ him!" Hinata yelled as Lee grabbed her other arm just in case.

"Let him go!" Lee yelled at her as she glared at him.

"Can't you hear me! _Move!"_

"Can't you hear us! Remember your senses!"

Hinata only seemed to grow madder and more enraged as her entire body glowed with charka. Shikamaru cursed lowly as he could feel her breaking free of his jutsu. Lee increased his own chakra output as he matched hers. Before anyone knew what had happened, an explosion from Lee and Hinata occurred, creating smoke, and kicking up winds as the two when in opposite directions while Sai still walked away like nothing happened. Hinata readied herself in the air as the top half of Lee's jumpsuit was destroyed. Lee flipped through the air and skidded across the ground as he landed just short of Sai.

"You dare use such jutsu within the village?" Lee asked in shock as Hinata only galred at him while her palms were a swirling concentration of chakra.

"I see then… How reckless… That leaves me with no choice…" Shikamaru said as got up from having been knocked back like his fellow non-Jonin ninja. Lee nodded as he opened two of the Eight Gates and hopped high into the air while Shikamaru surged forward.

Hinata and Lee moved toward each other, both of them with their attacks at the ready. Right when they were about to collide, dark shadows from the ground moved about them both and wrapped themselves tightly around the two young ninja. Shikamaru stood between them as the shadows moved from under him to secure the two.

"Shadow Binding, complete." Shikamaru said as he stood to full height.

"Calm down now… both of you." Shikamaru said as Lee and Hinata looked at him in shock. Since when had Shikamaru been so powerful?

"S-Shikamaru?" Hinata gasped out as Shikamaru sent her a sharp look.

"Someone, place these two under arrest." Shikamaru said as Lee and Hinata looked at him in shock once again.

"But, wait a minute-" Hinata said as Tenten and Kurenai took hold of her. Lee only closed his eyes and accepted his fate as Choji and Gai took him.

"In times like these we should not have to take up arms against our own." Shikamaru said to Hinata as Tsunade nodded and stepped next to him.

"Especially when your first priority should have been getting Naruto's body down from there." Tsunade said as she and the others looked to see Asuma, Neji, Gaara, and Sasuke getting Naruto's body down with great and gingerly care.

Hinata only gazed up at them coming down with sobs of heartache and grief. She took one last look as Sasuke closed Naruto's eyes and tried hard to compose herself. Naruto wouldn't want her to be a wreck after his death.

Sai turned about to her and Lee as the two were carried off to one of the holding cells in the Uchiha district. He gave them both a mocking grin and a close-eyed look as they both openly glared back at him heatedly, though both turned their faces from him as they knew they had done just what he wanted.

"Thank you, Shikamaru Nara. I'm sorry you had to waste your grieving time on those two and their childish fighting." Sai said as Shikamaru didn't even turn to him while he spoke. He only watched as Naruto's body was created delicately with the sword that had impaled him now laying atop his body.

"You know… Sai, was it? It looked like, just for a second, you were gonna kill both Hinata and Lee." Shikamaru said as he glanced back Sai, whose hand was at his side in a hold to grab the short blade on his back. Sai didn't even flinch at the accusation as his eyes stayed extremely narrowed and his smile stayed in place.

"Now… whatever could you be talking about?" Sai replied smoothly as Shikamaru finally turned to him with a sharp look in his eyes.

"Play innocent if you'd like, but I'll tell you this; if _any_ of my friends are hurt by you, I'll kill you _myself_." Shikamaru said calmly as Sai grinned at him.

"Oh my, how scary." Sai commented mockingly, "Well then, I suggest that you had best keep an eye on all of them; you don't want any _misfortune_ to befall them now, do you?"

Sai and Shikamaru stared at each other for the longest of times before they turned away, Sai walking off as Tsunade placed a hand on Shikamaru's shoulder. Only Tsunade noticed Danzo slip away into the shadows as she narrowed her eyes at his exit.

"Good work, Shikamaru." Tsunade said as she gazed down at him.

"I should have done more." Shikamaru said, more to himself than Tsunade.

"Listen, why don't you-"

"If you don't mind, Lady Tsunade, I'd just like to go home for the day… and curl up in my bed, and cry…" Shikamaru said blatantly as Tsunade nodded.

Shikamaru walked off as Tsunade sighed and ran a hand through her blonde hair. She was sure she was going to get gray hairs soon. She was getting far too old to be losing those she cared for.

* * *

><p>"Lady Tsunade! Come quick! Training Ground Seven is completely destroyed!" a random ninja yelled as he jumped down from the rooftops.<p>

Tsunade's eyes widened at what could be a clue to Naruto's mysterious assassination and the murder. She quickly turned on heel and moved toward the training ground like a train off it's tracks. She would figure out all of these mysterious and sudden occurrences. It all made no sense, but she promised herself to get to the bottom of them.

If only for Naruto's sake… and the sake of everyone in the village…


End file.
